Statements :

Joy Boyd (Liverpool LU)Nominated by Liverpool Left Unity

I have become active in my local community mainly due to the introduction of the Bedroom Tax and austerity measures imposed on the poor and vulnerable. I joined Left Unity after hearing Ken Loach’s call for a party of the left.

I am proud to be a member of The Reclaim Group and our ethos to get out there and challenge the Government’s attack on our communities. We challenge attacks to Social Housing, the Welfare State, NHS, Education etc.

We assist tenant’s access their right to social housing and offer positive and practicable support with form filling, the appeal process for Housing Benefit, sanctions ,DLA /PIP. Wealso represent people at tribunals and WCA assessments.

I am a retired nurse. For twelve years I was a School Governor in Wallasey. Elected firstly as a Parent Governor but asked to stay in my role as Literacy governor when my child had left the school. I served on a number of committees which included Curriculum and Nursery.

I was a member of the Appeal Committee which dealt with Nursery, Admission and Exclusion Appeals .I was involved in many working parties which include the Sure Start initiative and the implementation of the Every Child Matters Policy. During my time as Governor I worked voluntarily delivering the Additional Literacy Support intervention programme which was part of the then National Literacy Strategy.

I am committed to ensure fairness in all walks of life. It is important as individual’s we have the right to appeal against any actions, decisions or sanctions we feel have been levied unfairly upon us. The need to listen and understand the complexities of human interactions is essential to the process. Appeal committee’s have an important role to play within the Party. There will be limitations no doubt in resolving appeals to everyone’s satisfaction. However, neutrality, fairness, consistency, transparency and accountability are an essential part of the resolution/ decision making process for all concerned.

Luke Cooper (Islington LU)Nominated by Islington LU

I have been involved in Left Unity from the very beginning as part of the group of activists that initiated the Ken Loach call for a new party of the left, and have since been involved in the Islington branch. I am keen to develop Left Unity as a grassroots and campaigning organisation which takes its internal democracy seriously and builds ‘from the bottom up’. I have not been involved in the leadership of Left Unity and did not support any of the three platforms prior to the November – though I voted with the majority of the conference for an amended version of the Left Party platform. This naturally makes me a strong independent candidate for the Appeals Committee.

My decision to stand for Appeals was simply based on a concern that several seats had not been taken up for such an important position and I was therefore keen put myself forward, hopefully ensuring a competitive election.

I have a strong belief in the importance of justice and a fair minded temperament.

The Appeals Committee must ensure the rights of the accused have been taken seriously, and be prepared to right any wrongs that have been committed in our disputes process when they arise. I have experience of two successful civil actions, one against the Metropolitan Police, the other the tabloid press. As such, I have a gained a strong grasp of the importance of due process, transparency, and equality of treatment in the resolution of disputes.

Previously, I have thirteen years experience as a left activist in the anti-war, anticapitalist, and student movements. I currently work as a lecturer at Richmond, an American university in London, and I’m a member of the UCU union. I’m also the co-author of Beyond Capitalism? and have written on left politics for various websites and magazines, including Open-Democracy, Red Pepper, and New Left Project.

Ian Heyes (Wigan LU)
Nominated by Wigan LU

I have worked in the building trade for 55 years and have been active in trade unions for most of that time.I am branch secretary of Leigh Unite, also a delegate to Wigan trades council.

Along with others in Wigan i am a founder member of The Wigan Diggers festival we organize an annual music festival with an heavy emphasis on getting the socialist message across to the public.

I strongly support positive discrimination in favour of women’s involvement at all levels in Left Unity.

As far back as 1975 i was an active member of the struggle against the NF, and participated in many demonstrations. I believe that racism in all its forms as no place in a just society, should be fought against at all times

I regard myself as a Green Socialist with very strong views on climate change, and for the last 3 years i have been an active participant in the North West anti fracking movement, which is gaining strength, but a lot more work is needed if we are to defeat this destructive activity.

Finally i am a member of Left Unity, and attended the first national conference in London.

Claire Riley (Wigan LU)Nominated by Wigan LU

In standing for a position on the appeals committee so that I can apply mymexperience as a trained mediator (neighbour disputes) , work place steward and social worker and the skills therein to this role. I am a committed member of Left Unity and support all its aim to provide a fair and strong alternative.

As a result of these experiences and skills I feel that I have a good sense of down to earth understanding of justice and fair play and would welcome the opportunity to use it in this setting. This role demands as I see it an understanding of how to manage clashes which inevitably occur in organisations and as this is something that interests me me I hope that you will see fit to vote for someone who can rise to the challenge of difficult situations and hopefully as described has skills which match the challenge. I am sensitive to the issues of marginalised groups within an organisation and would aim to ensure in any such activity that I would be able to act as a positive influence in such a role.

John Tummon (Stockport LU)Nominated by Stockport LU

I am a candidate for the Appeals Committee for 3 reasons: because, along with the Standing Orders Committee, it has the lowest number of candidates; because my experience is relevant and, finally, because this should now be given enhanced priority after what happened last year in the SWP.

I am the Secretary of Stockport branch and one of its representatives on the North West regional committee of LU. In my 27 years working in race equality, I attended 14 training courses dealing with various aspects of legal procedure, equality legislation and employment law, investigated and reported on over 300 cases of race & religious discrimination and over 200 cases of racial harassment. I experienced both sides of complaints, grievance and disciplinary procedures. I have represented myself in court, others at Immigration Appeals Tribunals and fought and won two Employment Tribunal cases. For 3 years, whilst a member of the Football Supporters Association, I took up complaints against the police from Football supporters; I also worked voluntarily carrying out authorised visits to police stations to check on the treatment of those in custody and provided support to a family of someone who died in police custody in Stockport.

I am therefore familiar with rules of evidence, with investigative methods and with considerations of justice, discrimination and equality.

I am a member of the Republican Socialist Tendency within Left Unity and, for 10 years, was a member of the libertarian socialist group, Big Flame and am researching and writing a book on imperialism in the 20th century.

I believe that volatility and internal debate & dispute is the price LU has to pay for being a broad church, with so many perspectives on the Left being thrown together, and that this will, on occasions, present us with complaints and disciplinary issues. I want to contribute what I have learned about conflict, resolution and justice to our capacity for responding well to such challenges.

Left Unity is active in movements and campaigns across the left, working to create an alternative to the main political parties.